Training Day
by Skittles the Sugar Fairy
Summary: In which Sailor Pluto realizes she's brilliant and Usagi takes after Chibi-Usa


Sailor Pluto watched the strands of time diligently, smiling to herself. It was almost time for her to step back into one of the many time lines and do what she would do many years in the future of the same time line. Only this time it wasn't going to be the young princess who didn't know how to fight, but the warrior untrained in matters of state.

To say that the training would be difficult would be an understatement, but Pluto had seen and personally watched this particular warrior flourish in this time line. Different choices affected so much, there were so many, many time lines that she had to be very careful if and when she did interfere. But this was one such occasion that the future of this time line allowed her to know what she had to do in the now to bring about a level peace. Such wasn't always the case, which made for some frustrating moments. Thankfully this would be simple. For her anyway... Her soon to be charge... Less so.

Key in hand, Sailor Pluto walked away from the door that let her watch all of what had been and what would be. As she left the hidden realm of time behind, she teleported to Tokyo, dropping transformation as fluidly as regular people breathed. She had come out exactly where she needed to be, outside of the school where her objective was waiting.

It was the last day of school, and the bell had rung more than an hour ago, releasing the students from their prison, all but the few who had truly managed to anger their teachers on this last day. One of those being a girl who had thought she was finally free! Except she had been caught running in the halls, so she languished behind, her friends promising to meet her at the Crown. A promise she unknowingly wasn't going to be able to keep.

Finally even the teacher had had enough and sighed. "Alright. See you three next year. Hopefully not like this though, ne?"

The three trouble makers nodded vigorously, a chorused, "Yes teacher!" before they fled like they were being chased down by rabid zombies.

Two of the trouble makers ran right past the tall woman standing outside their school gate, not giving her so much as a second glance. The third though, the young girl who was the target of Setsuna, thankfully slowed and came to a stop in front of her.

"Setsuna-san! What are you doing here? Not that it isn't nice to see you! Just, unexpected. Ahm, I'll shush now." The girl babbled slightly, shifting nervously. One didn't normally encounter one of the out scouts alone, and if you did it was almost never in a casual sense.

The warrior of Pluto smiled at the chatter, it warming her heart, as this girl's presence always did. "Good afternoon Usagi-chan, it is good to see you as well."

Usagi brightened and moved to start walking in the direction of the Crown with the older woman, happy to see a friend, and even more happy to be free of school for the summer. "Will you be staying long? I know you're so busy... But it'd be nice to sit and have a milkshake with you at very least!" She could even pay for it, she'd been saving her allowance all month so that she could reward herself for having survived the school year.

"I'm afraid not, I am here on scout business." Setsuna felt a little bad as she watched the girl deflate slightly before straightening determinedly. "And, no, this is no new enemy to worry about." Might as well spare the girl some worry immediately. "This is something that falls strictly to you to complete."

"Only me?" But, everything they did, all that they faced, they triumphed because they had been together, because she had the love and strength of her friends _with_ her.

"Yes... Things are going to become very busy for all of you very, very soon... And I worry that you won't have the time to learn what you need to, to face this coming future." Despite its necessity, it didn't make the Guardian of time feel any less poorly for the heartache that being alone would cause her young Princess. She continued on, holding up her hand to still the stream of words that the blonde was undoubtedly barely holding back. "I know you retain memories of your life as Serenity, but that is not enough to become Queen. As thorough of an Advisor as Luna and Artemis both are, there are just some things that not even they know. Being that Chibi-Usa came to you for training as a warrior, I thought the most appropriate thing to do would be to send you to your past Mother for training as a Queen."

Of all the things Usagi had been expecting, that... certainly had not been it. She could feel her jaw dangling, her mouth was so wide open from shock.

"Of course, you will have to be very, very careful not to mention the future, or do anything that could change the future, or you could easily end up erasing yourself from the current day." Setsuna continued to walk normally though her voice had taken on a stern and serious even for her tone. "I have spoken with Queen Serenity and her court and you will be introduced as a cousin of Princess Serenity, through her father's side. It is going to be said that you were raised on Earth, with your father's estranged family so any cultural mishaps can be explained away by that."

Usagi just nodded, unable to do more than that. The ability to process what she was being told was hard enough.

"So please, please remember what I've told you Usagi, the future depends on it." With that the older woman stopped and stepped in front of Usagi, putting a hand on her shoulder. "I believe in you Princess, and because of that, I won't be seeing you until the end of your lesson. Be safe."

Be safe? What sort of things were there to worry about? As long as she wasn't going at the _end_ when they all _died_, what kind of danger could she possibly get into?

There was a pause in time it seemed, where everything was almost if it had stopped and Setsuna pushed hard and suddenly against the younger girl's shoulder. Unprepared, the blonde stumbled back, expecting to catch herself, she wasn't nearly as clumsy as she had once been after all. Except there was nothing underneath her foot and she wind-milled a moment, eyes wide as she tried to reach for the outer scout.

"Setsuna!" The shock and hurt was written all over Usagi's face and imbedded in her voice, clear for the world and the other woman to hear. And then she was just gone, as if she had never been. The people around kept walking, unaware that a girl had simply vanished.

"I'm sorry Usagi-chan... I _know_ you can do this. I believe in you... We all do." The wind stole her words and Setsuna, now Sailor Pluto, vanished from this time as well. She had many things to take care of now that Usagi was beginning her training. It was going to be a long, long summer this year.


End file.
